Apparatus for quenching melt-spun fibers



Dec. 10, 1968 L., D. CHIRGWIN, JR 3,414,939

APPARATUS FOR QUENCHING MELT-SPUN FIBERS Filed Nov. 4, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. LESTER DAN/EL CHIRGW/N, JR.

BYfiam V ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1968 1.. D CHIRGWIN, JR

APPARATUS FOR QUENCHING MELT-SPUN FIBERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1966 llllllllll NH] Q III H II II II II II INVENTOR. LESTER DAN/EL CHIRGW/N, JR.

ATTORNEY Dec. 10, 1968 D. CHIRGWIN, JR 3,414,939

APPARATUS FOR QUENCHING MELT-SPUN FIBERS Filed Nov. 4, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. LESTER DAN/E L CH/RGW/N, JR.

)WMT'ALM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,414,939 APPARATUS FOR QUENCHING MELT-SPUN FIBERS Lester Daniel Chirgwin, Jr., Stamford, Conn., assignor to American Cyanamid Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Maine Filed Nov. 4, 1966, Ser.No. 592,110 2 Claims. (Cl. 18-8) This invention relates to an apparatus for the quench pullaway of hot, melt-spun fibers. Still further, this invention relates to an apparatus that permits the sudden cooling or quenching of a hot, melt-spun fiber by passing said fiber through a mass of a quencing liquid, such as water, shortly after extrusion from a spinnerette wherein the quenched filament becomes engaged between a pair of endless belts that then carry the filament down and around a roller and up out of the quenching fluid to a roll-up station or for further processing.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a piece of apparatus that will permit the quenching of a hot, melt-spun fiber, and a pullaway roll station so as to remove the fiber from the quenching medium upon cooling. A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus in which a hot, melt-spun fiber or filament is pulled downward from a superimposed spinnerette into a quenching fluid such as water, and between a pair of engaging endless belts and then removed from the quenching medium to a roll-up station or for further processing. These and other objects of the present invention will be discussed in greater detail hereinbelow.

The concept of the present invention is applicable to a plurality of hot, melt-spun fibers of which a substantial plurality are already known in the art. The apparatus of the present invention, for instance may be used to quench and pullaway such synethetic fibers as polyesters, polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, and the like.

In order that the concept of the present invention may be more fully understood, reference is made to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational diagrammatical isometric drawing of the apparatus of the present invention, and an illustration of how the apparatus will be used in the process of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of the present invention showing the drive mechanism of the first set of four rollers, among other things.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the apparatus of the present invention taken along the line 4-4 in the direction of the arrows in FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 1, 1 is an open-top, water-tight container illustrated as holding a quantity of a quenching fluid. The rollers 2A, 2B. 2C and 2D comprise the first set of rollers positioned in parallel relationship, wherein one of each of said four rollers is positioned at each of the corners of an imaginary rectangle. The continuous belt 3 engages each of the four rollers 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D. A second set of two rollers, 4A and 4B positioned intermediate of the first set of four rollers 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, are in parallel relationship with said first set of four rollers. As a preferred embodiment of the invention, the roller 4B, the lower roller of said second :set of rollers, is larger than the upper roller of the set of rollers, whereas the upper roller of said second set of rollers being substantially the same size as each of the four rollers. A continuous belt 5 engages each of said two rollers in the second set, 4A and 4B, and also engages the continuous belt 3 engaged around the first set of rollers 2A, 2B. 2C, and 2D, around a part of the lower roller 4B of the second set of rollers.

Used in conjunction with the apparatus of the present invention is the spinnerette 6 which melt-spins the fiber 7, which drops down from the spinnerette and becomes quenched in the fluid in the container 1, and becomes engaged between the continuous belts 3 and 5 and is taken around the roller 4B and up out of the quenching fluid and around the carry away rollers 8, 9, and 10.

The base for the container 1 is shown as 11.

Not shown in the drawings is a hydraulic lift which permits the raising and lowering of the apparatus of the present invention toward or away from the spinnerette 6 so as to diminish or increase the time lapse from the moment of extrusion of the fiber .from the spinnerette 6 until it reaches the quenching liquid in the container 1. All of the rollers 2A, 2B, 2C, 21), 4A, 4B, 8, 9 and 10 have axles 12.

In FIGURE 2, the variable speed drive 13 powers the sprocket 14 which, in turn, engages the chain 15. The main power transmission gear 16 drives the .pinion gear 17 at a speed which will maintain equal surface speeds on the rollers 2A, 2B, 2C. 2D and 4B. The sealed bearings are shown as 18. The sprocket engaging the chain 20 is shown as 19, which powers the rollers 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D. The tensioning control 21 controls the tension of the chain 20.

In FIGURE 3, all of the components have previously been identified with the following exceptions. The slots 26A and 26B are in the bearings 18, by which the axles 12 can be moved in order to put tension on belts 3 and 5.

In FIGURE 4, the Teflon collars 22 cooperating with the flange bearings 23 and the O-rings 24 function to seal the case and the bearing 18, whereas the O-rings 25 function to seal the shafts 12. The elongated slots 26B, along which the axles 12 can move, put: tension on the belt 3. The slots 26A in FIGURES 3 and 4 put tension on roll 4A and, hence, on belt 5 in the bearings. The rubber surfacing layer 27 is bonded to the entire cylindrical surface of the roller 4B which, in turn, engages the belt 5 and prevents slippage of the belt in its engagement with the roller 4B. Both the surfacing layer 27 and the belts 3 and 5 may be of a soft, deformable material to minimize deformation by compression.

The procedure for using the apparatus of the present invention will be more fully understood by reference particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings wherein the filament 7 is extruded in a hot melt condition from the spinnerette 6 down into the water-tight container which has therein a quantity of water or other quenching fluid and the filament then becomes engaged at the nip between the continuous belts 3 and 5 as they come together where the roller 4B forces the endless belt 5 to contact the endless belt 3. The filament moves around the rollers 4B and is brought upwardly around the carry-away rollers 8 and 9 and then downwardly around the roller 10 and off to further processing, or to a roll-up station where the filament is wound onto a bobbin. The roll-up station and bobbin arrangement being conventional in the art are not shown.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for quenching and pulling away meltspun fibers comprising (1) an open-top, water-tight container capable of holding a quantity of a quenching fluid,

(2) a first set of four rollers positioned in parallel relationship, one of each of said four rollers being positioned at each of the corners of an imaginary rectangle,

(3) a continuous belt engaging each of said four rollers,

(4) a second set of two rollers, intermediate of said first set of four rollers and in parallel relationship with said first set of four rollers,

(5 a continuous belt engaging each of said two rollers 3 4 in the second set and also engaging the continuous References Cited belt engaged around the first set of rollers around a UNITED STATES PATENTS glalrit of the lower roller of the second set of rollers, 1,600,119 9 6 Mackl n- (6) means to power both sets of rollers so that the 5 89 7/ 950 Spen r et a1. 18-8 XR two continuous belts are traveling at the same speed 3,077 004 2/1963 Mummexy 13 1 XR and in the same direction at the points of contact 3,179,974 4/1965 T011010 around part of the lower roller of the second set of renew WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the 10 lower roller of said second set of two rollers is larger US, Cl, X R

than the upper roller of the set, and said upper roller 18--l being substantially the same size as each of the four rollers in the first set of rollers. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR QUENCHING AND PULLING AWAY MELTSPUN FIBERS COMPRISING 